From the CEO himself. Unprompted. Formal. Sitting across his own desk and looking directly at me while he said it.
That’s why I got the pay increase.
I can feel his stupid wolf, Bad Girl grumbled.He’s staring and it’s fucking rude.
Since when do you care about social niceties?
It’s only acceptable when I enact the corruption, she said, and then sniffed.And stop looking at him like that.
Like what?
You know what.
I waited for her to elaborate. She didn’t.
I became suddenly, inconveniently aware of the way I was sitting. The warmth that had crept up the back of my neck from nowhere. The fact that I had not looked away from his eyes for longer than was strictly necessary for a professional apology meeting.
I straightened in the chair.
“As a way of apology, would you accept a dinner invitation? Tonight?”
My eyes flicked back to his.
Say no.
I swallowed.
Tell him no. Now.
“I’m sorry,” I said, with an apologetic smile that felt remarkably steady given the current situation.“I have plans this evening.”
His smile vanished. Something dimmed behind his eyes—there and gone, quickly controlled, but I caught it.
Bad Girl began to laugh.
“And tomorrow?”
Say yes.
The instruction came so fast and so cleanly that I didn’t even have time to question it.
“Tomorrow should be okay.”
His grin was instant. Unguarded in a way nothing else about him had been—wide enough to reach his eyes, bright enough to do something entirely unwelcome to my ability to think clearly.
He might be entertaining after all, Bad Girl said.
High praise. Coming from her, practically a glowing reference. I almost felt sorry for him.
“That is excellent. We have much to discuss,” he said, standing up. “I look forward to the pleasure of your company.”
I followed suit and stood.
He escorted me to the door.
The man was inches away from me and that damn cologne was heavenly.
Pfff. Please, Bad Girl snorted, but there was no heat behind her words.
